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Field Notes Close to home or in a far away jungle, there is always something marvelous to see.

The Next Chapter

USA | Saturday, 15 Jan 2011 | Views [655]

It has been months since our last entry, but we haven't been idle.  We rafted the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in September and continued camping our way to California.  We added Channel Islands to our list of National Parks and re-visited ... Read more >


Tagged!

ECUADOR | Thursday, 17 Jun 2010 | Views [655]

It could have been worse.   It was just ‘things’ after all.   They are insured and no one was hurt.   But it was the icing on the birthday cake, so to speak.   Yeah, today is my happy f-ing birthday, one we won’t soon forget. We ... Read more >


Don't Forget The Tortoises

ECUADOR | Saturday, 12 Jun 2010 | Views [789]

Imagine having 150 years of experience and not being able to 'do the deed' when everything is on the line.  That's the way it is for 'Lonesome George,' the last of the line of Galapagos tortoises from Isla Pinto. He was found alone ... Read more >


What Darwin Saw (And Us, Too)

ECUADOR | Friday, 11 Jun 2010 | Views [736]

Darwin was seasick on much of his Beagle voyage.  Our trip was much more civilized although mal de mer was always a possibility.  We soon settled into the routine: wake up call at 6:30; breakfast at 7; island visit; snorkel; lunch; siesta; snorkel;... Read more >


Cruising the Galapagos

ECUADOR | Wednesday, 9 Jun 2010 | Views [746]

The Galapagos consist of 12 main islands and about a dozen minor ones and each one has multiple names; Santa Cruz is Indefatigable, San Salvador is Santiago and Santa Maria is also known as Floreana or Charles. The islands are volcanic in origin ... Read more >


Finding Nemo

ECUADOR | Monday, 7 Jun 2010 | Views [847]

There are 86 licensed tour ships in the Galapagos.   They range from economy class up to luxury liners and carry from 10 to 100 passengers.   A seven-day cruise can cost less than $1000 or as much as $6000.   All seem to follow the same ... Read more >


Photos: Birds of Ecuador

ECUADOR | Thursday, 3 Jun 2010 | Photo Gallery


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Historic Cuenca, Too Cute for Words

ECUADOR | Wednesday, 2 Jun 2010 | Views [548]

Somehow Ecuador feels different from Peru.  Maybe it is the weather here in the highlands.  Or maybe it's the cleanliness of Cuenca.  It could be using US dollars, the official currency of Ecuador, especially when you receive a handful of ... Read more >


La Frontera

ECUADOR | Tuesday, 1 Jun 2010 | Views [554]

Technically Connie has been in Peru illegally since late April when her tourist visa expired.    When we arrived in Peru I received a 90-day tourist card but hers was good only for 30 days.   We were told we could settle up when we were leaving ... Read more >


Photos: Ecuador

ECUADOR | Tuesday, 1 Jun 2010 | Photo Gallery


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Tumbes, End of the Road

PERU | Monday, 31 May 2010 | Views [859]

The overnight bus from Chiclayo left nearly on time and we arrived in the dusty town of Tumbes around seven on Sunday morning.   We are just a few kilometers from the border with Ecuador and this is our last stop in Peru.   The sole reason ... Read more >


Chiclayo and the Sican Culture

PERU | Saturday, 29 May 2010 | Views [841]

Another bus ride yesterday brought us to Chiclayo, three hours from Trujillo.   For a city of 600,000 there isn’t much to do if you aren’t interested in brujos , the witches and shamans that the city is known for.   But it is a good base for ... Read more >


Around Trujillo

PERU | Wednesday, 26 May 2010 | Views [1063]

As we moved north from Lima we traveled back in time with the cultures that pre-dated the Inca.   A 9-hour bus ride took us to Trujillo, an oasis in the coastal desert, and to the Moche culture from 200 AD.   The Moche people constructed their ... Read more >


Photos: Lima to Ecuador

PERU | Tuesday, 25 May 2010 | Photo Gallery


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Photos: Iquitos and the Amazon

PERU | Monday, 24 May 2010 | Photo Gallery


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Iquitos

PERU | Sunday, 23 May 2010 | Views [649]

With over 600,000 people Iquitos is the largest city in the world not accessible by road, Peru’s version of Juneau.   It saw its heyday in the early 1900s with the rubber boom but that ended when some plants were smuggled to SE Asia where they ... Read more >


Photos: Birds of Peru: Iquitos and the Amazon

PERU | Friday, 21 May 2010 | Photo Gallery


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Muyuna Lodge II

PERU | Friday, 21 May 2010 | Views [1036]

It rained hard all night long but Moises thought we should still be able to see some birds this morning.   We towed two small fiberglass canoes upstream to a beautiful lake and he was right.   It was cool and cloudy and the birds were very ... Read more >


Muyuna Lodge

PERU | Thursday, 20 May 2010 | Views [1272]

I wonder exactly when the jungle became the rainforest.   George of the Rainforest just doesn’t sound right.   Nor does “It’s a rainforest out there.”   But it’s not so bad to stay in a "rainforest" lodge and that’s ... Read more >


Lake Yarinacocha

PERU | Sunday, 16 May 2010 | Views [927]

Laguna Yarinacocha is much nicer when the sun is shining.   We spend both Saturday and Sunday mornings cruising around in Miguel’s peki-peki (the sound the long-tail motor makes) looking for birds.   Miguel caught on quickly.   He slowed ... Read more >


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